Slime-pump



SLIME PUMP.

APPLICATION men FEB. 21. 1920.

1,383,380. Patented July 5, 1921.

wrmsssis a samdggign W WW {UNITED sTAT s PATENT OFFICE.

'sAI UEI. L. nodes, or IVANHOE, VIRGINIA.

SLIME-PUMP.

T0 at whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL L. Boees, a resident of Ivanhoe, in the countyof Wythe and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Slime-Pumps, of which thefollowing is a" specification.

. This invention relates to pumps, or elevators, and particularly to. such devices adapted to'handle' a mixture of pulverized solid and water. 7

Among the objects of the invention are to provide an improved apparatus for elevating slime, i. 6., powdered ore and water, or like mixtures, from one level to another. Other objects include the continuous agitation of the mixture being moved, in order to produce suds or froth, and in order to keep solid matter from being deposited. A further object is to provide a device having the least possible wear because of abrasion of the material handled.

The drawing is a vertical central section through the essential parts of my apparatus, the particular embodiments shown being built into the walls of the tank.

In separating ore from gangue by the flotation process, by such apparatus for example as described in my co-pending application Serial No. 331,014, the material to be separated, having first been pulverized, is fed into a large-tank full of water, containing a sud-forming element, such-as a small I quantity of oil. The mixture isthen beaten rapidly by revolving paddles, and is circulated through the tank in such manner that ore particles are caught in the froth at the top of the tank, while the gangue falls to the bottom. The ore is passed with the suds to a settlement tank, from which it is removed by some sort of conveyor. Likewise with the gangue, which must also be removed.

The present invention deals with a pump, or conveyer, for moving such mixtures of ore or gangue and water. At present either screw conveyers, or centrifugal pumps are used for this purpose. There are disadvantages in each of these. For example the centrifugal pump is very rapidly worn out by abrasion of the particles of ore or gangue against the pump casing. The screw conveyers require considerable space, are 'apt to become clogged, and cannot handle the material until it has thoroughly settled out of the water or suds carrying it.

The present invention avoids these difii,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 27,1920. I Serial No.

Patented July 5,1921. 361,697; 7 I

of the solid material .from one level to an- I other.

Referring to the drawin the pump is shown applied to a tank having walls land 2, bottom 3 and an inclined side wall 1. As here llustrated the walls of the tank are those of a settlement or depositchamber' of an oreconcentrating system. That is, ore, or gangue, in pulverized condition, is passed 1nto the chamber 5, formed by the walls of the tank above referred to, and normally settles to the bottom thereof. The inclined wall 4 tends to collect the powdered materlal at one side, that is at the opening 6 1n the side of the pump chamber 7, the wall of which is numbered 8, as shown.

The pump casing may be either independent, or built into the wall of the tank as shown. The pump comprises the casing referred to, a vertical rotary shaft 9, and a series of paddles 10 and 11 mounted on the shaft. These paddles are set at an angle of about thirty-seven degrees from a horizontal plane, and the adjacent pairs 10 and 11 are at right angles to each other. The shaft is rotated clock-wise, being driven by a chain 12 connected to any suitable source of power and acting through gear 13, shaft 14;, and bevel gears 15 and 16, the latter of which is keyed to the end of shaft 9, as illustrated. At the top of the pump casing a lateral outlet pipe 17 is provided.

A mixture of pulverized ore or gangue being received in the chamber 5, the solid matter settles to the bottom and is delivered to the pump through inlet 6. The pump shaft is driven rapidly, say twelve hundred revolutions per minute. The paddles create a strong upward current through the pump casing, which draws a mixture of ore and water from the bottom of the tank. This is the mixture that is called slime. At the top the mixture flows out through pipe 17, and by it is led to any desired place,

7 as for example a dump in the case of gangue,

or a storage tank, in the case of ore. The

paddles revolving very rapidly, and being of a considerable number, keep tliematerial thoroughly agitated, and where oil or'otheif suitable elements are contained therein, tend to continuously produce the necessary lfroth or suds for separating ore from a mixture With. gangue. r a It Will be obvious that this pump may be applied at any desired'plaee in an ore -'sepa rator, to remove pulverized solids from the bottom of the-tanlc-to another tank, or to subsequenttank being situated lower than its preceding tank,in order toiacilitate transfer of the mixture from the preceding f I tank; -r

FHrthel'HlOlQ, the pump casing maybe i j. made of wood, of polygonal shape,"so' that the casing maybe readily repaired, or en tir-ely 'builtjby' the ordinary mine carpenter.

The many uses and'advantages of the de- I claim 1 q vicewillbeapparent to those familiar with the art. 7' V 1'; In a fiotation machine, the combination of an inclined bottom, a vertical casing situated at the foot of the inclined bottom and ,havingean, opening adjacent to'the base of said incline, .a "shaft in the casing, paddles on the shaft adapted to lift the liquid through the casing, and means to actuate the shaft. V r r 2.: The combination tvith a settlement tank o of anfinclined memberv positioned at the bottom of the tank, .a yerti'cal casing positioned a't th e foot otthe inclined member, an open ing atthe bottom of the casing, an outlet atthe top of the casing, a shaft in the easing, "paddles on the. shaft, .said, paddles be ing'uniformly turned out of the plane per means to ve the shaft Y Inftes'timony whereof have hereunto t my hand.

" .ALIOEAhTRILLQ j' Jo.;B i1 LY BRO N. I

'pendicular to the axis of the shaft, and

:n -Boees 7 if 

